Sand trap for oil wells



Dec. 9, 1924.

G. A. OSBORNE SAND TRAP FOR OIL WELLS Filed Oct. 10, 1923 INVENTOR GLA.Oajorne, 2%

A TTORNE YS WITNESSES Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE, OF EL DORADO, ARKANSAS.

SAND TRAP FOR OIL WELLS.

Application filed October 10, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of El Dorado, in the county of Union and State ofArkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SandTraps for Oil Wells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sand traps especially adapted for use in oilwells.

Briefly stated an important object of this invention is to provide anoil well sand trap designed to be located in the tubing at a point abovethe working barrel and having means whereby to collect the sandsuspended in the oil and to positively prevent it from dropping on thecups of the working barrel and wearing the same rapidly.

A further object is to provide a sand trap capable of collecting a largequantity of sand and capable of being quickly drawn to the surface byremoving the tubing whereby the sand collected in the trap may beremoved.

A further object is to provide a sand trap in which the oil is caused toflow rather rapidly so as to positively lift the sand into the trap andconsequently prevent it from settling on the cups when the well is shutdown.

A further object is to provide a sand trap which may be interposed inany tubing without elaborately altering the same and without in any wayinterfering with maximum production.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description. 7

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame,

Figure 1 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner in which thesand trap is interposed in the tubing at a point above the workingbarrel.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view trating the. sand inlet end of thetrap.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional through the invention.

In the drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention the numeral 5 designates the wellcasing while the numeral 10 designates the tubing connected to the upperportion of the working barrel in the usual illus view Serial No.667,715.

manner. Figure 1 illustrates that a tubular pump rod 11 is extendedthrough the tubing and has its upper end provided with a liquid tightconnection with the tubing by means of packing 12.

In carrying out the invention the fluid and the sand therein is conveyedup through the hollow pump rod 11 with considerable momentum andconsequently the sand is not allowed to settle.

Figure 2 illustrates that the hollow pump rod 11 is slidable through thepacking 12 and is provided at its upper end with a one-way valve 14:which allows the oil upon flowing up through the hollow pump rod 11 todischarge in the upper portion of the sand trap.

As illustrated in Figure 1 a head or par-'- t-ition 17 of concavo-convexformation is secured in the upper portion of the tubular sand trap andis provided with a series of perforations to allow the sand uponsettling to drop to the bottom of the trap. It might be said that theconcavo-co-nvex formation 17 defines upper and lower chambers in thetrap, the upper chamber being adapted to receive the oil and the sandsuspended therein, while the lower chamber is adapted to receive andcollect the sand and prevent it from settling on the cups in the workingbarrel below.

Figure 1 illustrates that the sand trap is composed of a number ofdetachably connected sections and it is desired to point out that asmany sections as desired may be employed and in different fieldsdifferent quantities of sand accumulate and this of course must beprovided for. If the well pumps a considerable quantity of sand then atrap of a large capacity must be provided. On the other hand if thewellpumps only a small quantity of sand a smaller trap may be provided.The tubular housing 32 which extends upwardly from the bottom of thesand trap surrounds the pump rod 11 and effectively prevents the sandupon entering the trap from escaping.

As illustrated in Figure 1 concave-convex perforated member 17 ismounted on the upper end of the tubular member and is provided with anannular flange 18 which engages the inner wall of the trap 3 so as tolimit lateral movement of the member 32 and the partition 17. Thispermits the plunger or the cup as the case be to freely enter the innerhousing That 2. i, 7 Q. If

is to say the partition 17 enters the housing 32 and also guides theplunger or cupinto the housing. By reason of this construction when thecups or plunger is lowered into the well their movement into the workingbarrel is not in any way interfered with by the trap 3 or associatedelements.

Attention is also directed to the fact that the partition 17 defines alower sand receiving chamber and an upper-flow retarding chamber. Theparticular function of the upper flow retarding chamber is totemporarily confine the pump liquid in the trap 3 and thereby allow thesand suspended therein to settle into the concave-convex partition-17.This positively prevents the oil from conducting a large quantity ofsand through the tubing.

In operation the sucker 'rod is reciprocated a predetermined lengthandthe 'oil flows up through the tubing and the member 11 and into theretarding chamber in the upper portion of the trap. The sand in the oilgradually settles through the perforations in the partition 17 and theo-ilgradually moves upwardly from the retarding chamber through thetubing to the flow tanks-in the usual manner.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application-in no wayinterferes -with the -'maximum production and requiresno unusual skillin its installation and -maintenance. v

Of course the usual sucker rod 40 is connected to the upper portion ofthe hollow pump rod 11 and the reciprocation of this rod results in themovement of the hollow pump rod 11 andin the plunger of theworking'barrel so that-the well is caused to produce.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

laThe combination with a tubing, of asand trap interposed in the tubingand consisting ofa pluralityof separate sections, a hollow pump rod andliquid conveyor extending through said sand trap, atubular housingextending up through said trap and receiving said pump -rod,'and aconoavoc'onvexperforated partition connected to said housing anddividing the trap into upper and lower compartments.

2.-The combination with-a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formationinterposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameterthan the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending up through the trap andadapted for the passage ofoil, a valve connected tothe upper portion ofthe pump rod, and a partitionarranged in the trap between the ends ofthe same and beingperforated to allow "the-sand in the oil to settle.'3. The combination'with a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formationinterpcsed inthe tubing and being substantially greats *and'a tubularhousing secured in the lower portion of said trap and supporting saidpartition, said housing *slidably receiving said: pump rod.

4. The combination with a tubing, 0f=a sand trap of tubularformationinterposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameterthan the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending up through-the trap andadapted for the passage of oil, a valvdconnectedto the upperportion ofthe pump rod, a partition arranged in thetrap between the ends 0f thesame and being per- 'forated to allow the sand :in :the oil to-settle, atubular housing secured in the- {lower portion 0f said trap andsupporting said partition, said housing slidably receiving said pumprod.

5. The 'c'ombination with-a tubing, atrap of tubular formation receivedinsaid tubing, the lower endof said trap being closed, a partitionextending across the'trap intermediate the ends thereof and beingperforated, a housing connected-to said partition and the lowerportion'of said trap, andpumping means extending through said housin 6. Thecombination with a: tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formationinterposed in the tubing and being substantially :greater in diameterthan the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending through the trap and beingadapted for the passage of oil, a partition arranged in the trap betweenthe ends thereof and defining a-sand receiving chamber in diameter thanthe tubing, a-hollow pump rod extending through the :trapand beingadapted for the passag of oil, a'partit-i on arranged in'the trapbetween-the ends-thereot' and defining a' sa ndreceiving chamber and aflow retarding chamber, said partition being provided with perforationsfor t-he passage of sand into the chamber,- and a tubular housingsecured in the lower portion of sald trap and supportingStllCl'pilltltlOll,

said partition being'of concaved formation to guide a pumping vmemberdownwardly into said tubular housing.

8. The combination with a tubing, of a sand trap of tubular formationinterposed in the tubing and being substantially greater in diameterthan the tubing, a hollow pump rod extending through the trap and-beingadapted for the passage of oil, a partition arranged in the trap betweenthe ends thereof and defining a sand receiving chamber and a flowretarding chamber, said partition 5 being provided with perforations forthe passage of sand into the chamber, and a tubular housing secured inthe lower portion of said trap and supporting said partition, saidpartition being of concaved formation to guide a pumping memberdownwardly into said tubular housing, and being engaged with the outerwall of the trap to strengthen the tubular housing.

GEORGE ALBIN OSBORNE.

